Combination flush and sliding door



April 5, 1960 T. c. soDDY COMBINATION FLUSH AND sLIDING Doon 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lbf A r VJ,

Filed May 22, 1958 April 5, 1960 T. c. soDDY COMBINATION FLUSH AND sLIDING DooR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22. 1958 COMBINATION FLUSH AND SLIDING DOOR Thomas C. Soddy, Downers Grove, lll., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of illinois Y Application May 22, 1958, Serial No. 737,147

18 Claims. (Cl. Ztl-23) f This invention relates to railway freight car doors, and more particularly to a combination of two different type doors which cooperate to close an elongated door opening in arailway house car side wall.

In general, the invention comprises a main door and an auxiliary or ush door. The main door corresponds generally to the usual house car side door and is positioned outwardly of the car side wall and is slidable, along a track, between an open position clear of the door opening and a closed position abreast of the door opening. The auxiliary or tiush door is movable outwardly from a closed position in the door opening when it is in substantial alignment with the side wall and then is movable parallel to the car wall to an open position clear of the door opening. The main door may be opened and closed independently of the ush door.

One object of the invention is to insure that the flush door may not be opened until the main door has been at least partly opened. Another object is to effectively resist outspreading loads on the closed doors due to bulk lading.

This structure is particularly useful in that it enables the provision of a versatile car having a relatively longdoor opening (fifteen feet long, for example) which, with both doors open, accommodates the loading of automobiles, lumber, or other relatively long items, but by locking the flush door in closed position and having only the main door functioning, operates as a car with an ordinary side door for short lading which is particularly adapted for shipping grain or other bulk material, the handling of which requires the application of `inside sheathing across the door opening. Another feature of the structure is an arrangement for avoiding disengagement of the ush door from the car such as might otherwise occur upon severe longitudinal impact. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a side wall of a car equipped with a combination double-door structure of this invention, both doors being shown in closed position, parts being broken away;

Figs. 2-7 are enlarged sections taken on lines 2*?. to 7--7, respectively, of Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a detail on an enlarged scale of the ilush door operating handle control device.

Fig. l is a detail section on line 1%*10of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a detail horizontal section corresponding to the left hand end of Fig. 3 but showing the initialoutward opening movement of the ush door.

Corresponding reference characters indicate Y corre-` sponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A railway house car side wall 1 has a door opening v3. This opening is of the order of fifteen feet long to allow for loading and unloading of automobiles. On the outside of the side wall 1 adjacent the bottom of the door opening 3 there is a track structure generally designated S supporting a pair of sliding doors 7 and 9 for the door opening. Each door as illustrated herein has a length about half the length of the door opening. For example, in the case of a door opening approximately fifteen feet long, door 7 may be approximately eight feet long and door 9 approximately seven feet long. Door 7 is referred to as the main door. It slides on the outside of the side wall 1 on the track structure between the closed position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 and an open position to the right of the door opening as viewed in Fig. 1. Door 7 remains in the same plane as it moves between its open and closed positions, this plane being on the outside of and parallel to the side wall. Door 9 is referred to as the flush door, since when in closed position it is substantially flush with the side wall (see Fig. 3). To open the flush door 9, it is necessary to slide the main door 7 to the right, after which the flush door 9 is swung out of the door opening (as will appear) and then slid clear of the door opening to the left as viewed in Fig. 1.

-The track structure 5 comprises a track 11 for the main door 7 and a track 13 for the flush door. The track 11 comprises an angle iron carried by brackets 15 on the outside of the car side wall below the right half of the door opening 3 and extending to the right beyond the door opening. The track 13 comprises an angle iron mounted on the outside of the car side wall below the left half of the door opening (and somewhat lower than the track 11) and extending to the left beyond the door' opening. Extending longitudinally on the outside of the` car side wall 1 above the door opening 3 and above track 11 is a top retainer or guide 17 for the door 7. Extending longitudinally on the outside of the car side wall 1 above the door opening 3 and above track 13 is a top retainer or guide 19 for the door 9.

Main door 7 has downwardly extending flanges 21, 23 which straddle track 11 (Fig. 4). Door 7 bears on ball rollers .25 confined between flanges 21, 23 and rolling on track 11. Door 7 has a top member 27 which slides in tcp guide 17. Back stops 29 for door 7 are secured to the car side at the right ends of track 11 and top guide 17.

Door 7 is latched in closed position by a lift handle 31 slidable in guides 33, 35, the lower end of thehandle being engageable with a stop 37 on track 11. The handle rides up an incline 39 on the stop as door 7 slides to closed position. Additional latching means 41 of familiar form is mounted on doors 7 and 9 for latching the two doors together when closed. Door 7 also has a hand hold 42.

Door 9 comprises a rectangular wood frame 43, a sheet metal outside panel 45 and a plywood inside panel 47. Sealing strips 49 on the inside of frame 43 at the bottom, top and the left end of the frame are compressible by movement of the door directly inwardly of the door opening into closed position, whereupon sealing strips 49 engage outwardly facing ledges 3a, on the side wall post 3, and 48a on the door opening header 48 and is distorted by the transverse movement of the door without being slid along the car side, which would belikely to result in tearing the strip. Door 9 has a hand hold 50 near its left end.

The Hush door 9 is part of a door assembly A includ-V ing front and rear rotaryl mounting shafts designated, SIF and SIR extending vertically on the outside of the 3 door 9 each journaled in upper and lower bearings 53 and 55 and an intermediate bearing S7. Shaft SIF is located near the front end post 59 of the door 9, and shaft SIR is located near the rear end 61 of the door 9. The front end of the door 9 is its right end which leads and the rear end of the door is its left end which trails as the door slides in closing direction, which is toward the right as viewed in Fig. 1. Fixed on the upper and lower ends of each of shafts SIF, 51R are crank arms 63, 65. The top guide 19 which extends longitudinally on the outside of car side wall 1 above door opening 3 is of inverted J-section having a downwardly opening channel portion 7b (see Fig. 2). Each ofthe lower crank arms 65 has a roller carriage 71 vertically pin-connected at its free end as indicated at 73, whereby the crank arms may swing horizontally on the vertical axis of the pin-connections. Each carriage 71 has rollers"75 Yriding on track 13 and has hook portions 77 (Fig. 2) which extend under track 13. AEach of the upper crank arms o3 has a roller 79 on a vertical pin asegure y at'its free end, the roller riding in channel portion 70.

of the top guide 19. When door 9 is in closed position, the upper and lower crank arms 63 and 65 of both mounting shafts 51E and 51K may extend from the shafts longitudinally of the car, as shown in Fig. l, or they may assume other angular positions relative to the car side. In opening door 9, it is moved out of the door opening 3 by swinging the crank arms l63 and 65y on'their pivots on the roller carriages, and then the door 9 andV its carriages 71 may be moved longitudinally along the outside of the car to the left to a retracted position clearof the door opening. A back stop 76 is secured to theleft end of track 13 to limitV the opening movement of door 9. rlhis stop has a link 78 which engagesa hook 71a on the left hand carriage to hold door 9 in open position. A ,front stop 80 above track 13` limits movement of the front (right) carriage 71 in door closing movement.

Door assembly A includes front and rear upright lock-w ing shafts SIF and 81R journaled on the door by bearings S2. Front locking shaft SIF is located inward of and closely adjacent front mounting shaft SIF. Rear locking shaft Sill is located inwardly of and closely adjacent rear mounting shaft SIR. The locking shafts are car side, compressing sealing strips 49, and lockthe door' in closed position. Upon rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction, the lugs force the door directly away from the car side out of the door opening.

Each locking shaft has a handle S9 pivoted at90`l thereon. When the door is closed and' locked, these handles are dropped to a position generally flat against theoutside of the door and inclined downward from their .pivotal connections 90, with one handle crossing on the outside of the other and held in a catch 91 on the latter handle. The handles must be swung upto horizontal position and then swung out for rotating lockinglshafts SELFV and 811i*` to unlock the door and force it in the direction out of the opening, the left handle 89 being swung clockwise and the right handle 89 counterclockwise as viewed from above for this purpose.

When door 9 is closed, crank arms 63 and 65 ofthe front (right) mounting shaft SIF extend rearward above` and. below. the keepers S5 for the lugs S3 ofshaft `81F (see Fig. 1). This prevents the roller 79 on the-front (right-) upper crank' arm'63 from comingoutof jthev guide-mfcase of' severe end-impact on the'car, such asl 4 would otherwise tend to cause separation of the front (right) end portions of track 13 and guide 19.

For each of the mounting shafts 51F and 51R there is a stop 93 for restricting the rotation of the shaft in door-opening direction to approximately and thereby limiting the rotation of the crank arms to 90. As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the stop 93 for each mounting shaft comprises an Yarm having an arcuateend portion 95 welded on the shaft immediately-below the upper bearing for the shaft. The arm extends tangentially from the shaft and` has an angled end portion 97 engageable liatwise with the outside of the door when the shaft is rotated from its door-closed to its door-open position. Fig. 7 shows the rear shaft 51B` and the stop or arm 93 thereon in the door-open position in solid lines, and in the door-closed position in dotted lines.

The front edging 99 of the main door comprises a Z bar with its inner flange extending into contact with the web of the flush door front edging 101 and behind the latters outer Vflange 103.V A gasket 165 is secured to main door front edging 99 and is compressed by contact with hush door front edging flange 163.

It is intended that opening movement of the ush door may not'begin (i.e. the door may not be forced outwardly from its hush position in Fig. 3) until the Vmain door has been moved to the right. To insure this'sequence ofpsteps'in door opening operation is the function'of an operatinghandle control including a latch 111 and a'pitman 113 (Figs. 1, 9). a bracket welded to operating handle 89 and is rotatable between the full line and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 9. Pitman 113 extends to the right andY vvents the lifting andswinging of operating handles 89.

The Vlatch cannot be swung to release the Operating handles until after the main door has been moved to the right about two inches, which is the distance required for latch 111'to swing upwardly and out of handle locking postiion.

This latching operation not only prevents attempted forcing of the flush door outwardly of the car side before main ydoor edging 9 9 has been moved to clear the front edge weather guard'lZL'but it also prevents the pressure of grain or other bulk lading against the inner face of the iiush door holding the ldoor out of full closed position, as might occur if lthe operating handles were not interlocked.

The flush door front post 59 has a series of openings 123 along its height. Lading retaining straps or tie bands 125 may be passed through these'slots to anchor the straps and to hold lading engaged by the straps frompshifting lengthwise of the car. A

Operation is as follows:

` To open ilush door 9, the latches 31 and '41 are released, and main door 7 is slid to the right, with attendant disengagement of flange 99 of the main door from channel 103 of the `'flush door and from the end -of pitman 113. ALatch 111 is lifted and pitman 113 retracted.

Then,handles 89 are `lifted and swung'outwardly to rotate locking shafts SIF and 81R tol unlock the tlush'door-and force it laterally out of the opening (Fig. ll). Then,

hand hold S0 is grasped manually and the rear end of the,

door swung .completely out of the opening and the door moved along the side of the car to open position. The pro cedure for closing and locking door 9 is the reverse. of the above. Lugs 83 on shafts 81E and 81K and keepers 85 constitute cooperating locking elements on hush door 9 andside wall `1 .at top and bottom adjacent each end of door 9 for providing four-point locking of door 9 in closed position. ,'lhus, door 9, when locked .in closed position, is .strongly i'esistantl to high internal loads and in effectis'a'part of the carsidewall,l andthe maybe used with only main'doo'r 7 functioning inVV the usual. side Latch 111 is pivoted to asegure door manner. With both doorsl open, the full door opening 3 (fifteen feet long, for example) is available for loading automobiles, lumber or other relatively long items.

In view of the above, it will be seen that several objects ofthe invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. Combination door structure for lan upright wall having an elongated door opening and a track structure adjacent the opening, comprising a main door carried by said track structure for sliding movement in a plane outward of the wall between an open position clear of the door opening and a closed position located in said plane and closing a portion of the door opening toward one end thereof, a flush door, carriages on said track structure,

upright shafts journaled on the door each having a crank arm journaled on an individual one of said carriages and supporting the flush door on said carriages for outward movement from a closed position, within the door opening substantially flush with the wall and closing the remainder of the door opening, to a sliding position outward of said wall, and for sliding movement on the outside of the wall to an open position clear of the door opening, locking elements on the wall above and below the door opening and generally adjacent the four corners of the flush door when the latter is in closed position, locking elements on the flush door spaced from the door front and rear edges and said carriages and crank arms and projecting beyond the margins of the door and movable into engagement with said locking elements on the wall and thrust the iush door tightly against the edges of the door opening in the wall independently of said carriages and crank arms, and laterally interengaging members on the meeting edges of said doors holding them against relative movement transversely of the wall when both doors are in closed position.

2. Combination door structure according to claim 1 in which the locking elements on the flush door comprise upright operating shafts spaced apart lengthwise of the flush door and journaled on the ush door with cranks at their ends having lugs at their ends projecting above and below the door, the cooperating wall locking elements comprising iixed keepers slotted laterally above and below the door opening.

3. Combination door structure according to claim 1 which includes means maintaining the door and wall locking elements in cooperative locking relation when the main door is in closed position.

4. Combination door structure according to claim 3 in which the means maintaining the locking elements in cooperative relation comprises a bar sldable horizontally on the ush door and having one end engaging the edge of the main door when the latter is closed, there being a latch device connected to the other end of the bar holding the position of the locking elements on the flush door, said bar being releasable only upon opening movement ofthe main door.

5. Combination door structure for an upright wall, as described in claim l, in which the track structure comprises separate tracks for the doors, the track for the main door being positioned at a higher level and coser to the upright wall than the track for the flush door and the adjacent ends or the two tracks being spaced apart lengthwise of the upright wall.

6. Combination door structure for a railway house car side wall having an elongated door opening and a track structure adjacent the opening, comprising a main door carried by said track structure for sliding .movement in a plane outward of the side wall between an open position clear of the door opening and aclosed position located in said plane and closing a portion of the door opening toward one end thereof, a ush door, and means mounting said flush door on said track structure for outward movement from a closed position within the door opening substantially ush with the-side wall and closing the remainder of the door opening-to a sliding position outward of said side wall and for sliding movementon the outside of the side wall to an open position clear of the door opening, a pair of rotary locking shafts, one adjacent each end of the flush door, extending vertically on the outside of the iiush door and carried by the flush door, eccentric lugs on the ends of the locking shafts, and keepers on the side wall for receiving said lugs, the keepers for the lugs of each locking shaft being adapted upon rotation of that locking shaft in one direction to force the flush door closed and lock it closed, and adapted upon rotation of that locking shaft in the opposite di,- rection to move the flush door outward, individual operating handles pivoted on said shaftsto swing parallel to the door into crossed relation when the door is closed, a two-part latch device mounted on said handles, one of the latch parts being pivoted to move into and out of cooperative relation with the other latch part, to hold said handles in cooperative crossed position, a bar connected to the `first-mentioned latch part and extending into contact with the edge of the main door when the latter is closed and holding the interconnected latch part against movement from said cooperative relation` with the other latch part.

7. Combination door structure for a railway house fear side wall having an elongated door opening and va track structure adjacent the opening, comprisinga main door carried by said track structure for sliding movement in a plane outward of the side wa'll between an open position clear of the door opening and a closed position located in said plane and closing a portionV of the door opening toward one end thereof, a iiush door, and means mounting said iiush door on said track structure for outward movement from a closed position within the door opening substantially flush with the side wall and closingthe remainder of the door opening to aI sliding position outward of said side wall, and for sliding movement on the outside of the side wall to an open' position clear of the door opening, an upright locking shaft on the'ilush door with offset lugs at its ends, keepers on the car side above and below said door and engageable by said lugs to move the door transversely of the car side into and out of the door opening as the lockingshaft is rotated, an operating handle on the locking shaft for rotating the latter and pivoted on the shaft to swing downwardly onv its pvot to an inoperative position alongside the door, a bracket projecting from the handle, a latch element pivoted on said bracket and movable on its pivot to a securing position, in which it holds the operating lever'against movement, and in a direction toward the end of the ush door adjacent the main door, to release the handle, a pitman extending from said latch to said end of the flush door with the end 'of the pitman in abutting relation with the front edge of the main door Awhen the 'latter is closed and holding said latchtelement in latching position until the main door is moved away from the ilush oor.

8. Combination door structure according to claim 7 which includes a second upright locking shaft spaced lengthwise of the door from the first lockngi'shaft and provided with a similarly pivoted operating handle which may swing downwardly into lapping-relation Vwiththe operating handle on the other locking shaft, a latch element on the second operating shaft movable into juxtaposed relation with the other latch element, said latch elements having aligned openings when juxtaposed for receiving the usual car door wire seal. j

V9. Combination door structure according to claim 6 which-.includes.eexible fsealingstrips fon theinner face of'theilush door andcompressiblebycontactwiththe car side'zwall by movement of thevdoor transversely of the sidewall .and inwardly of Vtheopening into closed position.

l0.=.Supporting and operating meanshfor a sliding railwaycar-door of the type which closes into a Vdoor openingin a side lwall or" the car substantiatlyvilushlwith said side wall,.comprising.atrack on the outside of said side wall-below-the door-opening, a guide on the 'outside of the side wallabovethe door opening, a pair of rotarymountingfsha-fts carrying the 1door extending lvertically on the outside-.of the doorV adjacent the ends of the door, upper and lower crank arms ixedon the ends of the-mounting shafts, carriages pivoted at the ends of-the lower crank armsfridingon theftrack, means on the endsof the upper crank-arrnsguidedV bythe guide, saidscrank arms being swingaole'win and outfor movement ofthe door into and out-ot?` closed position,saiddo'orvwhen swung outor" closed position being movable longitudinally alongthe side of thecarin rearward direction-to a retractedposition clear oft-heopening andbeing movable back in forward direction-'for closing thereof, a pair of rotary locking shafts, one adjacent and inward of each-'mounting shaft, extending vertically on the outside-of thedoor and carried by the door, said locking shafts being rotatable independently of said mounting 'shaftseccentric lugs on the ends ofthe lockingshaits, vand keepers on the-side wall-for receiving said lugs-, the'keepers fo'r the lugs of each locking shaft being adapted upon rotation of that-lockingshaft in one direction to force the door closedand lock it closed, and adapted upon rotation of that locking shaft in' the .opposite directionto'movethe-door-outward, the Ycrank arms at the ends o" one of saidrmounting shafts extending' above-and below the keepers for thejlugs on the Y'adjacent locking-shaft.

l1. Combination vdoor structure /for aY railway'house car-side wall having an elongated door opening and a track 'structure adjacent kthereto, comprising a door po'sitionedcxteriorly of the `side Wall and slidablealong said track structure between a position abreast of a portion of said opening and a position abreast of the car side wall, a second door having a thickness corresponding to the thickness ot the car side wall, upright crank shafts journaled on the outer face' of saidsecond door near opposite endsthereof, carriages. movable along saidtrack structure `and pivotally mounting the outer ends of the cranks on said'shafts'and supporting the door for movement lengthwise of the car side, by travel of said carriages, and transversely of, the .car side ,to and from a position in said opening-flush with the car side, individual locking devices on'sajd second mentioneddoor and side wall manually operable independently of said mounting shafts to hold said seco'ndmentioned door intposition flushl with the car side, and alot-,king mechanism comprisingseparable elements mounted on the adjacent ends of saiddoors for securing. them together andthereby securing the tirst mentioned door4 in closedrpsitipn.

'12. "Combination door lstructure as. set fo'rtlr in ,claim tl `in wliiclr,tiie 'forward edge ,of thesccond mentioned door overlies the outer face of the v'orvv'ard edge of the first mentioned door when the doo'rs are both in closed position.l

13. Combination door structure as set forth in claim ll in which said locking devices securing .the second mentionedzdoorto tire carrside wall are` positioned adjacent the upper audio-wer ends of each `mountingcrank shaft.-l

Combination door structure for a-,railway house car side walthavingnan elongated-door opening and a track structure-.adjacent the. opening, :comprising a main dooncarried bysaid track structure-,for slidingA movement ina plane u tward ofthe sidcfwallbet-ween anopen po'sition clear of the door openingnnd closedgposition lo,` eatedfirx` saidsplone andclosing :1v-portion t of the door the ends o'f opening toward one end thereof, a iusti door, and means mounting said flush door on said track structure for outward movement from aV closed position Within the door opening substantially ush with the side wall and closingthe remainder' of the door openingto' a sliding position outward of said side wall, and for sliding movement on the outside of the side Wall to an open position clear of the door opening, a flange on the front edge of theV main door extending toward the flush door, a flexible gasket on said flange, and a flange on the iront edge of the flush door contacting and distortingr said gasket when botl doors are in closed position.

l5. Combination door structure for a railway house car side wall having an elongated door opening and a track structure adiacent the opening, comprising a main door carried by said track structure for sliding movement in a plane outward of the side wall between an open position clear of the door opening and a closed position located in said plane and closing a portion of the door opening toward one end thereof, a ilush door, and means mounting said tiush door on said track structure foroutward movement from a closed position within the door.

opening substantially tlush with the side Wall and closing the remainder' of the door opening to a sliding position outward of said side wall, and for sliding movement on the outside of the side wall to an open position clear or" the door opening, a flange-like element on the front edging of the main 4door extending toward the flush door, an opposing elementen the flush door front edging extending transversely of the plane of the door and abutted by said main door element when the doors are closed, and a gasket of iiexibie material on one of said edgings adjacent to said elements and distorted by said edgings when the ydoors are closed.

16. Combination door structure for a railway housecar side wall having ari-elongated door opening and a track structure adjacent the opening, comprising a main door carried by said track structure for sliding movement in a plane outward of the side Wall between an open positionclear of the door opening and a closed position located in said plane and closing a portion of the door opening toward one end thereof, a flush door, and means mounting said flush door on said track structure for outward movement from a closed position within the door opening substantially flush with the side wall and closing the remainder of the door opening to a sliding position outward or said side wall, and for sliding movement on the outside of the side Wall to an open position clear of the door opening, said flush door having an upright frame member at its front end which is rigid transversely of the door and has a web extending transversely of the plane of the door and provided with a series of apertures vertically spaced between its inner and outer faces' arranged for receiving retaining strips extending transversely of the car. Y

.17. Combination door structure according to claim 16 in which the door upright frame member comprises a metal part, forming the transverse aperture-d web, and a wooden part reinforcing the metalpart and recessed adjacent'the apertured part of the web to accommodate lading ties passed'through the apertures.

i8. Combination door structure for a railway house car side wall having an elongated door opening and a track structure adjacent the opening, comprising a main. door carried by said track structure for sliding movement in a plane outward of the sid-e wall between an open position clear of the door opening and a closed position located in said plane and closing a portion ofthe door opening .toward one end thereof, la ush door, and means mounting said iiuslr door on said track structure for outward movement from a closed position within the door opening substantially flush with the side wall and closing the remainder of the door opening to a sliding position-outward of said vside wall, and tor sliding movement.

on the outside of the side Wall to van open position clear of the door opening, said ush door having an upright frame member at its front end which is rigid transversely of the door and has a channel-like recess extending throughout its length and facing toward and receiving an opposing ange element on the main door, so as to 10 A overlap the same lengthwise of the doors, and has a web extending transversely of the plane Gif the door and provided with a series of apertures vertically spaced between its inner and outer faces arranged for receiving retaining 5 strips extending transversely of the car.

No references cited. 

